In honor of Men’s Health Week, June 13-19, we’ve put together this guide to men’s hearing health. We’ll touch on different health topics, how they relate to your hearing, and what you can do to keep your hearing healthy.

Hearing and Overall Health

Age-related hearing loss affects more than 60 percent of U.S. adults older than 70 years of age, and it has been associated with increased risk of hospitalization, decreased quality of life, and increased risk of functional and cognitive decline. The onset of hearing loss is gradual, with prevalence tripling from the age of 50 years to 60 years. Individuals who cannot understand or hear what others are saying sometimes choose to avoid social situations entirely, rather than ask others to repeat themselves — especially in situations where background noise is significant.

Cardiovascular Disease and Hearing Health

The association between cardiovascular health and hearing health has never been stronger. It’s all about blood circulation throughout the body. The Ear, Nose, and Throat Institute believes that the link between hearing loss and cardiovascular disease is because of the inner ear’s sensitivity to circulation. The disease causes hardening of the arteries, which affects your circulation and, in turn, your hearing.

Circulatory problems have the ability to affect any number of bodily processes, particularly in the most delicate areas of the body — like the cochlea, the delicate inner-ear organ responsible for sending sound signals to the brain. Conditions that restrict blood supply to the cochlea can starve the inner ear of necessary oxygen and permanently damage hearing.

Quit Hurting Your Hearing: Smoking

We know that genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors help determine a person’s risk of hearing loss — and that includes smoking.

Another significant component of the NCOA study was that 2,090 close family members or friends of the hearing impaired were asked a parallel set of questions both before treatment and after treatment. Benefits of treatment with hearing aids were significant, offering improvements in many areas of life ranging from relationships and social life to sense of independence:

Relations at home improved by 56 percent according to the user, 66 percent according to family and friends.

Self-image improved by 50 percent according to the user, 60 percent according to family and friends.

Life overall improved by 48 percent according to the user, 62 percent according to family and friends.

Mental health improved by 36 percent according to the user, 39 percent according to family and friends.

Social life improved by 34 percent according to the user, 41 percent according to family and friends.

Relations at work improved by 26 percent according to the user, 43 percent according to family and friends.

It’s no coincidence Men’s Health Week is the week leading up to and including Father’s Day. If you or a dad you know are experiencing hearing loss symptoms and need guidance or relief, or if you would simply like to know more about what to prepare for during your various ages and stages, contact us today!

Dallas

Mansfield

Hearing Professional Center is recognized as an AudigyCertified™ practice. AudigyCertified™ expertise is measured by commitment to patient satisfaction, continuing education, and the expert application of current technology.